Instagram Facebook and Messenger are also restricted to teenagers for one hour a day

Meta Platforms will expand the function of limiting the platform usage time of youth users to Facebook and Messenger on Instagram. It will be implemented later in Korea.

Meta announced on the 8th that it will introduce a “youth account” function on Facebook and Messenger with priority in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.

This function was created to prevent excessive use of social networking services (SNS) by teenagers. As voices emphasizing the social responsibility of social networking companies came out from various places at home and abroad, Meta preemptively started self-regulation. The youth account function is applied to youth subscribers aged 13 to 17. Along with the private conversion of the account, the guardian can manage messages, tags, references and contents remixes, content with sensitive content, usage restriction mode, and daily time restriction. In order for youth users to release these functions, they need to obtain parental consent.

It is automatically set to allow only tags and mentions of people you follow. Content remixes are also available only to people who follow each other. For youth account users, content containing sensitive content is automatically set to be less visible in search results and recommended content in navigation tabs, releases, and feeds.

Restricted use mode refers to prohibition of use during a specific time zone. It is set by default from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. every day. At the set time zone, youth users cannot receive any activity notifications on Instagram.

The daily time limit refers to limiting the total usage time. If you use SNS for more than one hour a day continuously, the default is to send a notification (daily time limit) to close the app. You can forcefully shut down the app according to the settings of the guardian.

Meta implemented the feature on Instagram in September last year. It first introduced the feature to some countries including the U.S. and then expanded it to Korea and other countries worldwide in January last year. “97 percent of teenagers aged 13 to 15 followed the basic (youth account) limit, and 94 percent of U.S. parents responded that the feature is helpful (to protect youth users),” Meta said in the survey.

In Korea, it has been confirmed that the youth accounting function has not been expanded to Facebook or Messenger. Meta said on its official blog that it will soon be available to other regions.

Meanwhile, Meta plans to expand its Instagram restrictions under its youth account system. It is not allowed to participate in Instagram live without permission from its guardian, and an automatic blurring function is set up with naked pictures suspected in direct messages.

JENNIFER KIM

US ASIA JOURNAL